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Summary: An instant classic !!
Review: I read this book a year ago and ive been obsessed since the book is stunning i couldnt believe that a man (a young one at that!) could write like this it was astounding! this book is one of the best books i have ever read i found my copy at a second hand book shop down south and when i got back home i had to buy the hardcover i also bought liza dalby's book "geisha" and it was also very good but could not compare to "memoirs" i also bought a large book of pictures also the name escapes me though ? this book is a classic and will be loved for many years to come my favourite chapter by far would have be 27 it had such an eerie feel to it....but it was a great book and i hope everyone will enjoy as much as i did
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Summary: A Story of Finding One's Destiny
Review: Of course this book lives up to the reviews it has received - both from popular media as well as personal recommendations. It is a story of a particular life, and in it, a story of life. The Japanese way of looking at things - or rather, the author's rendition of the Japanese way of looking at things - is striking. Remarkable in that it is written by an American male born in 1957; unusual in its choice of narrator, especially for the pre- and post-war period it covers; sensitive; told without judgment; universal in its pull toward the unknowable: What is my destiny? How is it that my destiny is fulfilled? Why do some people seem to achieve theirs, most others don't? Why is there so much pain in achieving one's destiny?
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Summary: Provides you a glimpse into a world far away.
Review: This book was not only enjoyable to read, but educational. It tought me about a culture and a time I will never get to experience.
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Summary: The unknown and exotic world of Japan's beautiful Geisha
Review: Arthur Golden has opened a previously unexplained world--the world of the classical Geisha. Narrated as a true story of one of Japan's most famous Geisha, the novel immerses us in the exotic world of the Geisha--women trained from childhood to be beautiful and graceful and to enchant men. While many westerners conceive of the Geisha as a high class prostitute, that concept is far from the truth. While a Geisha's virginity may be bid to the highest bidder, that is a one time affair with subsequent visits strictly non physical--the slight glance of a bear forearm or neck is considered erotic and pleasing. By the end of WWII, there were few classical Geisha left in Japan, especially in Kyoto where the most famous Geisha lived. The author has written a historically interesting and accurate account of a culture now vanished. The reader is drawn to the life story of the little girl, Chiyo, who becomes the lovely Geisha, Sayure. The tragedy, triumph, and romaqnce of her life are enthralling and exotic in modern culture and we have a glimpse inot a world of beauty and power and artistic performance beyond compare in western society. A must read for a book one can't pout down!
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Summary: A true, inspiring story
Review: Nitta Sayori was sent away by her sick parents to an Okiya (Geisha House) in the district of Gion. Her older "sister" Hatsumomo is causing her lots of trouble, and is trying to force Sayori away. Sayori finally becomes the apprentice of a great Geisha, and a enemy of Hatsumomo. Together they drive Hatsumomo away from the Okiya, and Sayori is fanally free of her suffering, and becomes one of the greatest Geisha in Japan's history. This novel is an exiting, romantic, adventurous novel. It always leaves you wanting more. Golden does a great job showing the life of a Geisha living in the 1940's. You will feel as if you where almost there. Above all this is true story, which makes the tale even more moving.
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Summary: Well written with suitable subtley
Review: I have read some of the negative reviews preceding this one and they seem to be cliche reactions of western readers trying to understand one aspect of Japanese culture. I am by no means an expert on Japanese culture, but I am familiar enough with Asian thought and practise to understand that this provides an accurate description of life as a geisha. I noticed that one reviewer was concerned that the word love was never mentioned in the book - I don't know how much more ethnocentric (and dogmatic) you could be. Just because the subject matter is different and somewhat alien to most western readers doesn't discredit the work. In fact, I was quite impressed with the subtlety and accuracy in which it was presented.
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Summary: Intellectually Successful; Emotionally Lacking
Review: Golden's novel provides a detailed description of the life of a geisha, opening the door on an aspect of Japanese culture I knew nothing about. His descriptions are crisp and his writing style is often poetic. As such, readers will no doubt find it a fascinating and flowing adventure into a different world. The journey is made through the eyes of the female protagonist, Sayuri, who is recounting how she came to be a geisha. Unfortunately, I found it difficult to become emotionally involved with the characters, especially Sayuri. While I would have to reread the novel to give it an informed feminist reading, my casual reader response was one of offense. Sayuri's character lacks the nuances of a woman's perspective, and as such her character remains flat. For example, while Sayuri spends much of her time dwelling on a man she doesn't know (waiting to be saved by him), the demise of her family, the loss of her sister, is quickly explained, dismissed, and left emotionally unexplored. Further, for a novel so centered on a community of women oppressed by a male culture, the lack of any authentic female bonding being honestly conveyed is a critical flaw. The memoir narrative style may serve as an explanation for a certain emotional detachment that holds the listener/reader at a distance, but, because this is a world foreign to most readers, more emotional resonance was needed to give the story lasting impact.
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Summary: Best Book of 90's?
Review: This book had me riveted from front to back. Masterpiece, excellence, superb, grand, unequaled . . . Never met a Geisha. Now, I would love to know one. The ending was a bit too predictable for a book so full of girl outwitting girl schemes which made this book so incredibly fascinating. And it was written by a man And, the man is not Asian. And, there is no interview that took a year's time, as the book's prologue leads you to believe. Wow. This is the real thing. Fiction at its best -- writing about another gender from another continent about another culture in another generation (World War II). Congradulations to the author.
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Summary: A very colorful and intriguing book.
Review: I had many people recommend this book to me, all of whom raved about it... I borrowed a copy of the book it sat on my desk for a couple of days. When I finally picked it up to read it, I could not put it down. The first thing I did after I finished it (which was in the very early hours of the next morning) was look on the cover to find out the author's name, so I could begin recommmending it to my friends. To my complete amazement, the author was male! I couldn't believe the absolutely amazing job he did of potraying a female. The only not-so-great part of this book was the confusing names. I found myself looking back several times to keep the people straight. A very colorful and intriguing book.
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Summary: This book could have been great.
Review: The end was a complete let down. It was almost as if Golden had a limit to the amount of pages he could use and had to tie up the ending really quick. It completely threw off the gentle pace of this book. These types of fast resolutions work well in Hollywood, but leave a reader feeling rooked.To make it worse, I read the entire book under the assumption that it was a real memoir. Although I was suspicious after the wham bam thank you ma'am ending, I was crushed when I realized it was all a fiction. If Spielberg decides to do the movie, I think he will show us just how great this book could have been.
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